How to store fish in your fridge

Without freezing or using a commercial fridge, fresh fish doesn’t keep fresh for long. Once you take it off the ice tray at the fishmongers or out of the supercooled fridge at the supermarket, it begins to degrade. If it isn’t cooked within two days, it might still be safe to eat but the taste will be lost.

However, there is a technique you can use at home to keep your fresh fish fresher, longer. It’s surprisingly easy and fail safe too.
Cold but not freezing

Fish is regularly stored on ice to keep it fresh. Ideally, a temperature between 0C and 1C is needed to keep fish fresh, however, home refrigerators run at an average temperature of about 4C or 3C. You may have noticed that your home refrigerator has a temperature control that allows you to make it much cooler. But as anyone who has ever tried turning their home fridge up full blast will testify, certain products, particularly veggies with high water concentrations, will be ruined at lower than 3C.

Create your own fish compartment

Some units in commercial refrigeration, those designed for cafes, restaurants or hotels, do have different sections for different products. The fridges on offer at https://www.fridgefreezerdirect.co.uk/commercial-refrigeration for example, can be used to store a wide range of different products. However, for most of us, our home fridge will have to do. And it falls to us to create our own fish storage with the fridge.

Easier done than said

Luckily, it is surprisingly easy to create the perfect environment for storing fish. Firstly, you will need to separate the fillets, pat them dry and wrap them in freezer bags, removing as much air as possible. As tempting as it is, don’t put them in the freezer. Once the fish begins to freeze, any thawing will make it degrade more quickly.

Now you can make a storage area specifically for fish, right in your lowest compartment or in the salad draw. The salad will have to be moved up. It goes without saying, raw fish shouldn’t come into contact with your salad food. Pack the fish in this area in ice to bring the temperature down to 0C and close the draw. This way, the fish will stay fresh for up to five days.